Trees of Virginia, United States: Pine Trees

Ashburn, Virginia, USA

                Closely planted Pines trees

There are many diverse species of Pine trees. There are 30 odd types of Pine trees in North America alone. All the Pine trees remain green keeping their foliage throughout the year. Pine trees grow easily and extensively in verities of soils and different climates in the northern hemisphere across the globe. Some verities of Pine trees are more popular than others. Nevertheless, all of them have very high utility.


Following are the images Pine trees, leaves and fruits:

                                 Pines trees

                                Pines leaves

                              Pines fruits

                                Pines fruits

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Trees of Virginia, United States: Oak Tree

Ashburn, Virginia, USA

         Artistic rendering of Oak Tree

The Oak Tree family has hundreds of species. It is used as a landscaping tree because it is a great shade tree and many of them have great fall color. It is a hardwood species and has been a staple tree in American society for centuries. It was also named the America's National Tree in 2004. Oak trees can live well over 200 years and provide hundreds of benefits including its use as timber, construction material and food for wildlife.


Following are images of trees, leaves and fruits of Oak: 

                                  Oak Tree

                               Old Oak Tree

                                Oak fruits

                               Oak leaves

                    Oak leaves fall-colored

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Trees of Virginia, United States: Deodar cedar

Ashburn, Virginia, USA

Deodar cedar is a native to the Himalayas.  This is a pine family member and is comfortably grown in moderately mild American climates. The majestic deodar cedar, popularly known as "California Christmas tree", looks charming with its sensuous, weeping branchlets and soft, delicate foliage. 

Following are the images of the tree, leaves and fruits of Deodar cedar:

       Deodar Cedar Tree in Virginia, USA

Deodar Cedar Tree on Himalayas, India

                     Deodar Cedar leaves 

                      Deodar Cedar fruits

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Indian TV: Soap Operas, Serials and Programs Are Manufactured and Not Created

Yes, the Indian TV programs inclusive of soap operas, reality shows and news bulletins are commercially manufactured rather than being created based on intellect, art, culture and technology. The makers of these programs are not even following the common principles of direction, editing and cinematography. These programs are made simply by applying the cheap formulas and mindless spices (masalas) for attracting crowd on the channels and eventually inflating the controversial TRPs.  Nevertheless, it does not appear that these manufactured programs are really attracting viewers and keeping them attached to the TVs.  Had it been so, then people like me and all of my friends and relatives would not have disliked them and kept changing the channels in an unending search for a better show. I have hardly any doubts about my readers having similar impression and feelings about the Indian TV shows.

Let us discuss the formulas and spices that are being used by Indian TV channels for inflating TRP rankings and earning maximum revenues out of sponsorship. On observing Indian TV shows keenly, we may list out the following formulas or spices that are being used for the success of the shows:

1. Woman and glamor for attracting viewership: Women have always been used by the media for glamorizing their products and eventually inflating sales of the same. Makers of TV commercials and soap operas are using women like commodities just for portraying them as showpieces for attracting viewers and enhancing their TRP ratings. We find as many as 6 to 8 main women characters in each serials spanning from a 5 year girl to women of the status of grandma. Nevertheless, the grandmas would look like young women because the roles are played by women in her thirties. Moreover, all the women are decorated with latest, trendiest, colorful and heavy outfits. All these TV serial women are shown with blow-dried groomed hair and heavy makeup 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.It is just not possible for us to remember the names of these women because of their thick crowd on the screen. We find these glamorous characters in each and every frame of the serials. Male characters are rarely shown on the screen and if shown they would be merely flashing emotions like smile, fear, surprise, gloom and sometimes found crying. Male characters are rarely given any dialogue to narrate and never shown shouting on anybody and expressing anger because they are not allowed by the director to dominate anywhere in the scenes.
   
2. Wealth and power for luring viewers: There are stories of wealthy and powerful families portrayed in Indian TV serials basically for taking advantage of the wishful thinking of the Indian middle class  viewers. We, as TV viewer usually identify ourselves with the characters of the stories shown on our TVs and live the lives lived by them in the serials. Thereby, we subconsciously enjoy the aristocratic lives filled with big bungalows, cars, foreign trips, star hotels, romancing, dancing in night clubs, throwing big parties, sipping foreign liquors, firing guns and quenching all other desires that we dare not disclose to our families and friends, just by merely watching all that being done by the characters in TV serials.
   The makers of TV serials take advantage of these instincts of the middle class Indian viewers and sell their products stuffed with illusions of materializing day dreams, adventures and secret desires of the masses.
   
3. Broken marriages and repeated incidents of failures for adding tragedy:
   Tragedy is a part of the lives of the people in developing countries; because, their feelings are incomplete without the sorrows of adversities of their hard lives filled with struggle. The makers of TV serials use to show sad incidents and unsuccessful romantic stories of human lives for taking advantage of such pessimistic nature of the middle class masses.
   I watched all the recent episodes of a serial ‘Parichay’ being shown on Colors. The makers of the serial showed repeated failure of relations between the two main characters Anand and Siddhi. They first showed three consecutive cancellations of the marriage proposals between them spanning across about 5 episodes. Eventually, the story took an unexpected rude turn when Anand died in a terrorists’ bomb blast. The story of Anand and Siddhi got an abrupt short closure that looked quite unprofessional of the story teller and deceptive with the viewer’s angle.
   
4. Unsolved mysteries for endless stories: It is an accepted norm followed in story telling that one or more problems or mysteries are portrayed in stories and solutions to them are suggested in the climaxes of the same. But in Indian TV serials it is followed in an ‘other way round’ way. The problems and mysteries are kept unsolved throughout the serial.  As such the mysteries are never solved and the serial continues endlessly keeping the viewer confuses all along.
   
5. Repeated video clips for minimizing shootings and increasing profits: I have observed that in each episode the serial is shown only about 15% to 20% and the remaining period of the episode is filled with commercial breaks repeated display of various video clips. There are ‘coming up’ clips that are the replays of the shots that are going to be shown in subsequent parts.  There are ‘recaps’ that are the replays of the shots shown in the previous part. Then there are ‘tomorrow…’ that are the replays of the clips that are going to be shown in the tomorrows’ show.
   This policy is followed by the serial makers for keeping the viewer glued to the TV and at the same time reducing the volume of the end product delivered to the TV viewers in each episode. This also saves the huge expenditure on 85% shooting the serial that would have been incurred if the episode was shown in full length.
   
6. Excessive number of main characters for keeping the viewers confused: We find dozens of characters in each episodes because the makers of these shows always keep the viewers confused. They fill the serial with all the formulas and spices in order to keep the TRP rating at higher levels.
   
7. Violence, sex and cruelty are used as appetizers: With the recent spurt of violence, sex and cruelty shown in TV serials the TV sector has found diversified crowd of viewers. The TRP might also have increased slightly. But an equal number of viewers might have gone away from the viewer’s count.  Nevertheless, in spite of the threat of exposure of families and children to the adult contents, the TV channels are using these indecent spices as appetizers for selling their products.

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Brazil: National Flag and Basic Data

    

               Carnival of Brazil

                              Rio de Janeiro

                  Pale the Greatest Soccer Icon

                  Área Central do Franca Shopping

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Country: Brazil
Continent: South America 
Capital City: Brasília 
Population: 170,000,000 
Area: 8,547,404 km2 
Currency: 1 real = 100 centavos
Languages: Portuguese 
Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant 
Status: UN Member Country


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Crazy Ideas: Resource Conservation: How to Utilize the Leftovers of Bath-Soaps:

Ashburn, Virginia, USA

©Harish Jharia


With the introduction of international branded soaps in India my family also tried some of these brands at our home. We found them really useful and effective as far as skin care and cleaning is concerned. But the main hitch was the prize of these brands. 

We came across ‘Dove’ bath-soap in the year 2003 in one of the shops in Paltan Bazar at Dehradun. I was shocked to learn about its price tag of Rs 40/- as compare to the 100 gram Indian bath-soaps available on the same shop within the range of Rs 12/- to 20/-. The prize difference at the ratio of 12:40 between these soaps still continues till today.

Now let us discuss about the leftovers of the bath-soaps that are usually drained out in the commode or are used for hand-wash. 

Some people just throw these leftover soaps in the dustbin. Nevertheless, I just could not afford to throw the leftovers of the bath-soaps worth Rs 70/- to Rs 80/- a piece. I, instead, use to attach the leftovers of previous bath-soaps to the fresh pieces (using molecular adhesion process) and use the coupled soap cakes for bathing. 

For sticking the leftovers to a fresh soap cake you may follow this process:

1. Use the fresh soap cake for two baths, so that the smoothness of its surface goes 
2. Keep the leftover bath-soap under the shower while you take bath, so that it becomes soft
3. Place the leftover on the bath-soap over the soft wet bath-soap and ring one against the other, so that any air-bubble or water forces out 
4. Leave them stuck-together overnight and you will find that both the pieces of soaps integrated as one single piece 

Look at the following images of the process in successive stages:

            Fresh soap and leftover soap

Put wet leftover on the new wet soap and ring them

Soap attached with leftover is ready to use

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TV Review: Sasural Simar Ka Colors TV Hindi Serial, Monday to Friday at 7:30pm

Ashburn, Virginia, USA

 Dipika Samson as Simar and Avika Gaur as Roli

   
Star Cast: 
• Simar: Dipika Samson
• Prem: Shoeib Ibrahim
• Roli:  Avika Gaur
• Jamna Lal Dvivedi: Pankaj Dheer
• Rajjo Bua: Himani Shivpuri


We heard about a new Hindi serial Sasural Simar Ka on Colors TV channel. There were many promos shown on TV describing all the preparations about the serial- a new story, its impressive fresh cast, its excellent sets so on and so forth. In all I was really impatient for the serial to start on the TV because there were very few shows on Hindi TV channels worth watching. Sasural Simar Ka started showing on Colors TV channel. It looked really quite impressive in the beginning and as the successive episodes were aired I felt disillusioned for many reasons. 

                                      Dipika Samson

Story:
It is a story of a middle class girl Simar, hailing from a small town. She was broughtup in a traditional atmosphere and under strict discipline of his father Jamna Lal. Jamna Lal did not allow his children to watch TV and kept the TV locked all the time. He used to open the lock at the timings of his choice and showed the programmes by holding the remote in his own hands. The entire family was scared of thinking about TV and its shows. 

                       Avika Gaur

Simar had many dreams for her future like any other teenager in the ongoing modern times. She had a hobby for Bollywood dancing and wanted to earn name, fame and fortune by competing in a reality show ‘India’s Got Talent’. Her determination for this aim was supported by her aunt Rajjo bua, in spite of the fact that her father Jamna Lal would get furious with this plan. 


Review:
The serial then showed all sorts of deceptions, cheatings and breach of trust against the father who loved his daughter the most, in order to get Simar to the sets of ‘India’s Got Talent’. Simar eventually participated in the reality show right against the consent of her father and by deceiving him. The deceiving ploy was not complete with the participation of Simar in the reality show. The family went to the extent of marrying Simar’s minor sister Roli with Simar’s fiancé Prem, while Simar was out on the sets of the reality show. Subsequently Simar was sent to her in-laws house in spite of the fact that she was not married to Prem. 

                                  Shoeib Ibrahim

Right now Simar is living in Prem’s house without having married to him.  Her sister Roli, who was married to Prem without the knowledge of all, is also living in Prem’s house. The situation has become extremely irritating as the makers of the serial are trying to keep this deceptive threesome together by creating unusual and illogical excuses. 


Right now the TRP of Sasural Simar Ka is quite low at 2.77 against Balika vadhu: 4.7 and Uttaran: 3.7 (Click here for TRP site) 

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Hindi Divas: हिंदी दिवस: आज भी राष्ट्रभाषा को उसका सही स्थान क्यों नहीं मिला?

Ashburn, Virginia, USA

© हरीश झारिया


14 सितंबर 1949 को भारतीय संविधान सभा ने हिन्दी को राजभाषा के बतौर स्वीकार किया था। 1950 में भारतीय सविधान ने देवनागरी लिपि में हिन्दी को राजभाषा के रूप में स्वीकृति पर अंतिम मुहर लगा दी। हिंदी जिसे हिंदुस्तानी भी कहा जाता है भारत के हर क्षेत्र में आपसी बोलचाल के लिए प्रयुक्त होती है अंतरराष्ट्रीय आँकड़ों के अनुसार हिन्दी विश्व में दूसरी सबसे अधिक बोली जानेवाली भाषा है।


हिंदी मातृभाषा के बतौर भारत के उत्तरीय और मध्यवर्ती राज्यों में बोली जाती है। यहाँ इस तत्थ्य का ज़िक्र करना आवश्यक है कि भारत में राज्यों का गठन भाषाई आधार पर किया गया है। इसका नतीजा यह हुआ कि हिंदी उत्तर भारत की भाषा मानी जाने लगी। ऐसे राज्य जिन्हें हिंदी भाषी कहा जाता है वे हैं- हिमाचल प्रदेश, राजस्थान, दिल्ली, हरयाणा, उत्तराखण्ड, उत्तर प्रदेश, बिहार, झारखण्ड, मध्य प्रदेश और छत्तीसगढ़।


भारत की राजनीति में जाति, धर्म, नस्ल और क्षेत्रीयता की तरह भाषा भी एक बड़ी प्रभावशाली इकाई है जिसके आधार पर राजनीतिज्ञ कूटनीतिक चालें चला करते हैं। यही कारण है कि हिंदी को कानूनी रूप से राजभाषा का दर्ज़ा मिलने के 61 साल के बाद भी उपर्युक्त 10 राज्यों के अलावा शेष राज्यों में आज भी हिंदी को राजभाषा का दर्ज़ा नहीं मिल पाया है। अन्य क्षेत्रीय भाषाभाषी राज्यों में वैसे भी राज्य सरकारों के दफ़्तरों में क्षेत्रीय भाषा में ही कार्य किया जाता है। परंतु वहाँ के राजनीतिज्ञ राष्ट्रीयकृत बैंकों और केंद्रीय कार्यालयों में भी हिंदी में कार्य नहीं होने देते। कई राजनैतिक दलों ने तो राज्यों में हिंदी विरोध के आधार पर ही चुनाव जीत लिये। भाषाई आधार पर राज्यों के गठन का यह भी एक दुष्परिणाम है।


हिंदी के प्रचार और प्रसार में एक बड़ी अड़चन हिंदी समर्थकों ने ही खड़ी कर दी थी। हिन्दी समर्थक और हिंदी के प्रचारकों ने हिंदी का ऐसा रूप लोगों के सामने इस्तेमाल के लिए पेश किया जो आम आदमी की समझ से दूर था। वह ऐसी हिंदी थी जिसमें संस्कृत ही संस्कृत भरी हुई थी। 70 के दशक में दूरदर्शन पर प्रसारित अंग्रेज़ी समाचार लोगों की समझ में आजाया करते थे, जबकि, हिन्दी समाचार सर के ऊपर से निकल जाया करते थे। प्रिंट मीडिया में भी कहानियाँ, समाचार, और लेख सस्कृत शब्दों से भरे कठिन भाषा में लिखे और प्रकाशित किये जाते थे। मैंने ऐसे कई नाटक और फ़िल्में देखीं हैं जिनमें हास्य कलाकार कठिन हिन्दी का मखौल उड़ाया करते थे। 


आज भी ऐसी फ़िल्मों की कमी नहीं है जिनमें हिन्दी को लेकर ऊल जलूल कटाक्ष किये जाते हैं। हाल ही (2011) में एक फ़िल्म “स्टेनली का डब्बा” आई थी जिसमें कठिन हिंदी बोलने वाले एक हिन्दी शिक्षक को चोर, चटोरा और घटिया दर्ज़े का व्यक्ति दर्शाया गया था।

                              सलमान खुर्शीद 

बड़े-बड़े राजनेता, फ़िल्म स्टार, क्रिकेट खिलाड़ी और अन्य बड़ी हस्तियों के चरित्र और बोलचाल आम आदमी की सोच पर गहरा प्रभाव डालते हैं। वे जैसा व्यवहार करते हैं आम आदमी भी वौसा ही व्यवहार करने लगता है, या कम से कम उनसे मिलती जुलती बातें तो करने ही लगता है। ऐसे में अगर ये बड़ी हस्तियाँ एक्सेंटेड अंग्रेज़ी में फ़र्राटे से गुफ़्तगू करती हैं तो आम आदमी, विशेषकर युवक- युवतियाँ हिंदी बोलने में हीनता का अनुभव करने लगते हैं।

                                 अमिताभ बच्चन

अगर सभी बड़ी हस्तियाँ केंद्रीय मंत्री सलमान खुर्शीद और सुपर स्टार अमिताभ बच्चन की तरह हिंदी में बयान देने लगें तो आम आदमी को भी लगने लगेगा कि हिंदी मे बोलना पिछड़ेपन की निशानी नहीं है और इससे हिंदी के प्रचार-प्रसार में बहुत सहायता मिलेगी। 

                                कटरीना कैफ़

फ़िल्म स्टार कटरीना कैफ़ ने हिंदी सिनेमा से खूब नाम और धन कमाया लेकिन जब मीडिया पर बयान या इंटरव्यू देने की बारी आती है तो वे हिंदी को भूल जाया करती हैं और ब्रिटिश एक्सेंट में अंग्रेज़ी का ही इस्तेमाल करती हैं। ऐसे में उनके फ़ैन किस भाषा में बोलने के लिए प्रेरित होंगे यह तो हम सब आसानी से समझ सकते हैं।


हिंदी के प्रभावशाली प्रचार-प्रसार के लिए हमें आजतक के अनुभवों के आधार पर कुछ सावधानियाँ बरतनी होंगी और ईमानदारी से प्रभावी कदम उठाने होंगे ताकि हिंदी को राजभाषा का दर्ज़ा दिलाया जा सके। कुछ सुझाव निम्नलिखित हैं:

1. हिंदी आम बोलचाल की भाषा में लिखी और बोली जाना चाहिए
2. प्रचार-प्रसार में ऐसा नहीं लगना चाहिए कि थोपी जा रही है
3. ऐसा नहीं लगना चाहिए कि यह केवल विद्वानों की भाषा है
4. सभी बड़े आदमी हिंदी में बयान दें और बात करें
5. हिंदी भाषी लोग घर में हिन्दी में ही बात करें
6. विदेशों में रहने वाले भारतीय अपने बच्चों से हिंदी में बात करें
7. काल सेंटर द्वारा लोगों से हिंदी में ही वार्तालाप किया जाय
8. अभिवादन के लिए ‘नमस्कार’ या 'नमस्ते' बोला जाय 
9. हिंदी को अपनाने का अर्थ यह नहीं लगाना चाहिए कि अंग्रेज़ी का विरोध करना है
10. हिंदी के प्रचार के साथ यह ध्यान रखना होगा कि हर भारतीय भाषा का सम्मान किया जाय
11. अहिन्दीभाषी प्रदेशों में प्रदेश सरकार का काम क्षेत्रीय भाषा में और केंद्रीय कर्यालयों का काम हिंदी में करने की सुविधा और अनुमति होना चाहिए
12. पूरे देश मे हिंदी टाइप करने और प्रयोग करने के लिए कम्प्यूटर साफ़्टवेयर मुफ़्त में उपलब्ध किया जाना चाहिए

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10th Anniversary of 9/11 Terrorist Attack on American World Trade Towers:

Ashburn, Virginia, USA


- Harish Jharia


It happened to be a coincidence when I stepped on the American soil, for the fourth time in 2011, on the historical moment when the people of the United States were observing the 10th anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attack. It was also a coincidence when I visited the United States during the summers of 2001 and visited the World Trade Center twin towers. Nevertheless, it was a nightmarish shock to me when on returning back to India I watched the 9/11 widespread destruction live on TV, resulting out of the devastating terrorist attack in September 2001. Now I always feel scared out of the fact that the Marriott hotel, in the immediate neighborhood of the world trade towers, where we stayed in 2001, was also devastated in the carnage. Anyways, I deeply feel the pain and loss that the victims of 9/11 and their families have undergone. 

9/11 attack on the pride of global economy

I express my solidarity and compassion with the people of America and the entire world on history’s most inhuman act committed by the terrorists on 9/11 and on many other unholy moments at different places on this planet. I also pay my heartfelt compassion to my countrymen, including me, who faced ruthless terrorist attacks on Indian Parliament, Taj Hotel Mumbai, Delhi High court and many other places in the past. 


I also appeal to the government of India to declare an open war against the terrorists rather than beating the bushes and pointing finger at Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. Indian government should remember that the terrorist attacks are being planned by Indian terrorists, on Indian soil and out of the Indian explosives. Therefore, we should nab the suspected people and organizations in the Indian Territory itself. We will have to finish legal proceedings against the jailed terrorists on fast track and award death sentence immediately after the courts verdict.

Inhuman devastation of human progress and development

We need to learn from the United States the way they avenged the 9/11 massacre within 10 years and emerged as winners on the 10 anniversary of the attack in 2011. The dreaded 9/11 attack was transpired at the tenure of George W Bush who declared an open war against Al-Qaida and it’s supreme commander Osama Bin Laden. This war went through Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan and ended with the invasion of Pakistani territory by the United States seals and assassination of Osama Bin Laden. With this America has emerged as the champion of war against global terrorism under the regime of Barack Obama. 


We Indians look so very submissive, weak and coward if our careless handlings of the cases of terrorist attacks on India are any indications.  

        The 9/11 Memorial At ground zero, New York

We Indians will have to come out of the vote-bank syndrome and tackle the cases of terrorism with hands of steel and hearts of stone. The government will have to display its highest grade of Integrity while dealing with the terrorists. They should remember that terrorists are the enemies of Indian Republic. The government should declare their activities as mutiny and deal them accordingly without any political and diplomatic bias or prejudice.  


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